The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) launched the CWC in 2014. This competition invites interdisciplinary teams of undergraduate and graduate students to:
By participating in the competition, schools and students connect with wind energy experts and industry contacts, enhancing schools’ curriculum offerings and strengthening students’ professional networks.
For a detailed competition timeline, please visit the Timeline tab.
Each Spring: CWC organizers begin accepting applications for the next year’s competition. Interested schools fill out an application to participate in CWC during the upcoming school year.
Each Summer: CWC organizers select the teams who will participate in the competition during the first half of the upcoming school year. Project funds are available to the participating teams.
Each Fall: Teams prepare their first set of submissions.
Each Winter: CWC organizers narrow the teams to the finalist teams who will participate during the second half of the school year.
Each Winter and Spring: Teams prepare their final submissions, conduct final turbine testing, and present their work to a panel of wind energy experts at the final CWC event.
The CWC brings together diverse, multidisciplinary groups of undergraduate students to:
By helping prepare students for careers in the wind energy sector and renewable energy industry, the CWC supports the nation’s goals of 100% clean electricity by 2035 and a net-zero economy by 2050.
Teams can be comprised of undergraduate students from:
Explore the CWC 2024 Rules and Requirements to learn more.
Follow this prize to stay informed about CWC updates, news, and events.
Contact us directly at Collegiate.Wind@nrel.gov with any additional questions.